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When East meets West
The Indian software industry constantly interacts with foreign clients both in India and abroad. Foreigners usually educate themselves about India before embarking on a visit to make sure they do not embarrass their hosts. The onus lies on the Indian software industry to educate its personnel on the nuances of dealing with alien cultures. Of late, apart from the US, interaction with Japanese, German and other European professionals is on the rise. Japan and Germany have a work culture and etiquette, which are radically different from the work culture in the US.
Indian software engineers often find it tough to come to terms with the American work culture. The big players in the software industry now have in-house sessions to provide the soft skills required by a raw egg to come to terms with other cultures. Recently, MAIT and NIS Sparta had tied up to open the MAIT-NIS Academy, which would concentrate on providing IT professionals with the requisite soft skills.
Many Indian IT professionals are still in the dark about the indispensability of culture consciousness. For starters, we list below some of the areas where Indian and foreign cultures differ.
Time consciousness
Americans believe that time lost is opportunity lost. They consider meetings a terrible waste of time and get to the point immediately. They expect project deadlines to be strictly adhered to and can get very upset otherwise. Punctuality in Japan and Germany is even more sacrosanct they get deeply offended if a person who comes late does not profusely apologize, however legitimate the reason. Always make prior appointments with anyone you want to meet and be dead sure that you arrive on the dot.
Demeanor
North Americans tend to be jovial and informal even during business meetings, in sharp contrast to the more sedate Japanese and Germans. Using first names even between strangers is quite common in the US, but not so in European countries. Japanese make the exchange of business cards an elaborate 5-minute ceremony, but Americans introduce themselves briefly and get down to business without much ado.
Personal appearances
Even though Americans are informal, a shaved and well-groomed appearance is a must. Bad breath and body odors, which are common in India due to its climate, are unforgivable abroad. Bathroom slippers, creased shirts and sports shoes are a definite NO at meetings and interviews.
Personal space
Maintain a healthy distance with people whom you are speaking to.Given the amount of fraternizing between American and Indian IT professionals, here are some of the American idiosyncrasies that you need to be conscious of:
Americans naively expect people from other countries to be familiar with their slang and their etiquette. When a potential American client says, "I will walk away from this deal" he is not giving the deal a go-by but in fact is asking for more time
The language Americans tend to use, even during business, is blunt and rough and could have a liberal sprinkling of expletives, so brace yourself
Americans generally lack patience and will provoke you to get things moving
Americans try to extract a brief oral agreement at the first meeting itself to the discomfiture of the other party who may want to explore the nitty-gritty. American executives are egocentric. Their interests come first, then their company’s
Americans do not like lulls during business discussions and want to make a deal fast. Americans regard Uncle Sam as the best in the world. They presume you know it and act it out in front of them.
Taboos in a foreign land
Never have your arms over the shoulder of another person who belongs to the same sex as you. You will be construed as having an indecent relationship with him
Never speak in an Indian language with your Indian colleagues in the presence of an American co-worker
Never compromise on your lifestyle. Many Americans have been deeply offended by their Indian friends who do not return a treat
Never comment on the race they belong to. There are no Chinese-Americans or Indian-Americans, only Americans.
Know your culture
Americans usually possess only a limited knowledge of their own country but are inquisitive of other cultures, especially Oriental. It is always wise to know a few things about your own country’s cultural heritage since these are the days of Deepak Chopra and Ayurveda in the US.
The above tips are just an attempt to initiate you into the cross-cultural workplaces of today. To be a smart knowledge worker, you need to work on your culture training apart from building up your technical skills. Remember soft skills are treated on par if not higher than your technical skills in interviews for overseas job postings. Without adequately addressing these issues, you limit your potential, risk your company’s image and jeopardize business relationships that are fundamental to your success in a foreign environment.
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